French burkini ban overturned

The controversial French ban on “Burkinis” has been overturned after a month of global outrage.

More than 30 French towns had banned burkinis, which are full-length swimsuits that cover the entire body except for the face, hands and feet and are worn mostly by Muslim women. Burkinis were designed by an Australian woman, and are worn by some female Muslim lifeguards around Australia.

However, the ban prompted widespread condemnation, particularly after photographs emerged of a Muslim mother being forced to remove her burkini by armed French police. The images, taken in Nice, showed the woman’s daughter crying as her mother was forced to strip.

Yesterday the French Council of State ruled that the ban insulted “fundamental freedoms” such as the “freedom to come and go, the freedom of conscience and personal liberty” according to CNN.

The ruling follows protests around the world, including in London where women dressed in burins and carrying pool toys protested outside the French embassy, The Washington Post reports.

However, this isn’t the first time that France has faced controversy over its attitude towards Muslims - and a ban on headscarves in French schools remains intact.

At the heart of these decisions is France's fundamental belief in a secular society, where the church and state are entirely separate. However, there has been criticism that the burkini ban was a knee-jerk response to the terror attacks in Nice.